The emotional presenter struggled to contain his emotions towards the end of his show after playing the star's 1966 hit Alfie and was forced to pause, before managing to say "that always does me in that one - completely finishes me off".

But his producer Malcolm Prince could be heard shouting over to him: "You start when you want to start".

The pair pictured together in 2006 (Image: WENN)

Cilla's popular hit Anyone Who Had A Heart has begun climbing the charts again since her tragic death, and Paul finished his emotional show by playing it, as he said of the sudden chart success: "She'd be thrilled. She'd be very modest, but she'd be thrilled."

"Cilla you'll be missed," he added, "not just by me, but by all your legions of fans as well."

Paul revealed his close friend and showbiz legend Cilla didn't like listening to her own music, and avoided singing around the house, admitting the 72-year-old star often felt "panicked" when her fans asked her to sing to them.

"Cilla didn't like to sing around the house," Paul revealed, "she didn't even like to listen to her own music. She'd go mad if I put it on, shouting 'turn that off Paul!'"

He explained: "When we went out, everyone of course was always at her, and whenever we were in a bar where there was live music, they'd say 'Cilla, come on Cilla, get up and sing', and she used to panic.

Paul O'Grady has revealed personal memories from their friendship

"And of course she'd always throw it on to me. 'No I'm not but Paul will', and I'm like 'No Paul won't, Paul can't sing for one, and Paul hates getting up singing in public'. But I was usually thrusted into the limelight by Cilla to take the heat off her."

As a result, she'd try and persuade Paul himself to get up on stage instead - with one incident resulting in the comic falling off a piano in Spain, and taking the star with him.

Blind Date and Surprise Surprise star Cilla passed away last weekend at her Spanish villa, after falling on her terrace and suffering a stroke.

Her grieving sons Robert, 45, Ben, 41 and Jack, 35, have since spoken of their "devastation" at their mother's death.

Paul opened his show today by thanking fans for their continued support, and admitting: "We lost the queen of showbiz herself, and I lost a very dear friend."

He later admitted: "I'm just glad last week's show was pre-recorded before the sad news."

Paul shared a series of touching memories with Cilla, as he looked back over the last 20 years, saying: "I was really lucky to have known this lady for 20 years," before joking he's had three heart attacks, several broken bones and nearly been arrested twice in those years - with Cilla nearly drowned him in a Ventian lagoon too.

In his true comedy style, Paul thanked Cilla for setting him up with his Radio 2 show, joking: "Cilla has a lot to answer for!"

(Image: ITV)

The radio host went on to reveal the singer turned TV legend used to speak about wanting to be known for her singing, and even made it clear she wanted "singer" on her headstone.

Relieving more memories together, Paul remembered Cilla's reaction, shortly after getting her first number one, when she returned home and one of the neighbours shouted across the road "you're not a patch on your mother love" - as Paul revealed Cilla's mum, Priscilla Blythen, was a great singer too, often performing in local venues.

But when the showbiz star moved to London, following in the path of her beloved The Beatles, Paul admitted she felt "homesick", and missed her family and friends in Liverpool dearly.

Playing a recording of Cilla's own voice to finish the show, Paul bid farewell with her well known and much loved "Ta-ra".